Revolutionary War Walking Tour t the outbreak of the American Revolution, New Bern was (3) Major John Daves House Athe colonial capitol and the largest town in North Carolina. Despite 313 George Street fires, yellow fever epidemics, the Union occupation during the Civil Ca. 1770 War, and economic depressions, New Bern still retains some This is actually three cottages. Revolutionary War era structures and a sense of pride in her contri- In the backyard stands an ancient bution to our country’s independence. mulberry tree which was suppos- edly planted by the original (1) Tryon Palace - Pollock Street at George Street settlers in an attempt to raise silkworms to start a silk trade. Major Ca. 1767-1770/Burned 1798/Reconstructed 1952-1959 Daves, who built this house, was a “neat carpenter” and probably Tryon Palace was the first worked on the house himself. As a soldier in the Continental Army permanent capitol build- and later a major in the North Carolina Cavalry, he distinguished ing and residence of two himself at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. After the Revolution, royal governors. When the he was appointed by the General Assembly as Caretaker of the Palace. Revolution broke out, royal governor Josiah Martin (4) Haslen Dependency fled the palace in 1775. After the revolution, it remained the capitol 513 Broad Street building under independent state governors Richard Caswell, Ca. 1760-1770/Moved and Rebuilt 1980-85 Abner Nash, and Richard Dobbs Spaight. In April of 1792, on The Haslen dependency was built on East Front St. as a kitchen or his Southern Tour of the country, President George Washington service-related building for Dr. Thomas Haslen. The mansion house attended a ball at the palace. He referred to the building as “a good has been demolished, and Dr. Haslen, an ardent loyalist, was ordered brick building hastening to ruin.” The capitol moved to Raleigh in 1794, and the main building and kitchen wing of the palace burned in 1798. (2) John Wright Stanly House 307 George Street Ca. 1779-1783/Moved in 1932 and 1966 Revolutionary War The house sits on its third foundation having been moved twice to save it from demolition. John N REV. WAR Wright Stanly came here in 1772 and married the LANDMARKS N9 CEDER GROVE local Ann Cogdell. He became a leading ship CEMETERY CHURCHES owner, molasses distiller and shipper. During the CEMETERIES Revolution, he successfully used many of his ships as privateers. He became one of the wealthiest men N11 in the state and used his fortune to help support the cause for independence. Unfortunately, John N10 Wright and Ann Stanly died during the yellow fever epidemic of 1789. N4 N3 N6 N5 N8 N2 N1 N7 out of the country in 1777. Today, the Haslen dependency is the (9) Coor-Bishop House home of the New Bern Preservation Foundation. 501 East Front Street Ca. 1770-1778 (5) Christ Church - 320 Pollock Street Remodeled Ca. 1904 Ca. 1821-1824/Rebuilt 1871-1885 House builder and real estate The church was established in 1715 by an act of the merchant James Coor originally Colonial Assembly. The first church completed in built the house. Mr. Coor was 1751 was located where the open-air chapel is today. active in the patriotic causes during the Revolution serving in the The second church stood where the present one is Colonial Assembly, New Bern Council of Safety, and four today. The Rev. James Reed, one of the early rectors provincial congresses, and commissioner for the port of New of the church, was the officiate when King George Bern among other positions. Later owners of the house enter- II had a silver communion service, Bible, and prayer tained President James Monroe and Secretary of War John C. book presented to Christ Church in 1752. They are Calhoun in 1819. Even later President Howard Taft dined here still used on special occasions. The churchyard cemetery was requiring two dining room chairs because of his size. closed after the yellow fever epidemic of 1798. It houses the tombs of the Rev. James Reed, first rector, and John Wright (10) Hawks House Stanly, local merchant, patriot, and privateer, among other 517 New St. luminaries. Ca.1760-1769 Enlarged 1810/Moved 1975 (6) Lady Blessington Cannon One of few surviving Georgian Ca. 1775 gambrel-roofed houses, this Buried muzzle down at the corner of the churchyard at Pollock house was moved from its and Middle Streets is a cannon said to have been taken from the original location on Hancock British war ship, Lady Blessington. It was commandeered by one St. in the 1970s. John Green, a local merchant, bought the house of the privateer ships of New Bern’s own John Wright Stanly. in 1763 and finished the three-bay construction with end chim- neys. Francis Hawks, son of John Hawks, the architect of Tryon (7) Union Point Park - Ca. 1781 Palace, purchased the house in 1807. Hawks served as the United Here along the banks of the Neuse River in Aug. of 1781, States Collector of Customs for the port of New Bern. It was under Alexander Gaston, physician and staunch patriot, fled from the his ownership that the house was extended to its present five bays. raiding force of British regulators and Tories. Gaston was spotted alone in a ferry boat a short distance from shore. Mrs. Gaston (11) Palmer-Tisdale House rushed to the shore and on bended knee begged the soldiers to 520 New Street spare her husband’s life. The captain damned him for a rebel, Ca. 1767/Remodeled Ca. 1800 and Ca. 1820-1830 called for a rifle, leveled it over Margaret Gaston’s shoulder and The house was built for Robert Palmer, a customs agent in Bath, shot Alexander Gaston to death. Both of Gaston’s children, who had come here to accept his appointment as justice. Martin William and Jane, witnessed their father’s murder. Howard, chief justice of the province purchased the house from Palmer. Because of his unswerving loyalty to the British crown, (8) Coor-Gaston House Palmer was forced to sell in 1776 and leave the country. William 501 East Front Street Tisdale bought the house from Palmer; he was important in local Ca. 1770-1778 politics and engraved the first North Carolina state seal. He was James Coor had this house commissioned to print and number the new bills of credit for the built along with the Coor- new independent state. Cook House which stood next door. His descendants photos courtesy of Melvin & Kelvin Kestner sold it to William Gaston. Gaston was a distinguished lawyer, congressman, state Supreme Court judge and author of the North Carolina state song. Judge Gaston also campaigned for the abolition of slavery. As a Roman Catholic, he is responsible for bringing Bishop England here and having mass celebrated in his house. This inspired the founding of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, the oldest Catholic Church and congregation in North Carolina. 28560 CIVIL WAR CHURCHES & CEMETERIES HISTORIC HOMES AFRICAN-AMERICAN TOUR TOUR TOUR.